re: How did your SEC school get their name? (Posted on 2/7/13 at 9:42 pm to GumboPot)

We have a Super Bowl victory over LSU to thank...

quote:According to newspaper accounts and the history of the university, the Arkansas football coach Hugo Bezdek stepped down from the train to address the throng of students that came to meet the team. It was during his recounting of the 16-0 win over LSU that Coach Bezdek was to have said that the team played: "like a wild band of Razorback hogs."

re: How did your SEC school get their name? (Posted on 2/7/13 at 9:46 pm to GumboPot)

During the Mexican War, Governor Aaron Brown issued a call requesting 2,800 volunteers for military service; he got 30,000 respondents. The "Volunteer" moniker was adopted to honor residents' willingness to fight for the country.

I've read that over the course of American history, more Tennesseans have volunteered to fight than any other state in the union. I'm not sure of the veracity of that statement, though.

re: How did your SEC school get their name? (Posted on 2/7/13 at 9:47 pm to InVolNerable)

quote:During the Mexican War, Governor Aaron Brown issued a call requesting 2,800 volunteers for military service; he got 30,000 respondents. The "Volunteer" moniker was adopted to honor residents' willingness to fight for the country.

I Ham That I HamArkansas FanOh Lord, it's hard to be humbleMember since Jan 20128610 posts

re: How did your SEC school get their name? (Posted on 2/7/13 at 9:48 pm to GumboPot)

Razorback pigs had long been associated with the state(in the 1800's). They were known to be tough, a nuisance, and an oddity to outsiders. Arkansas residents were often called razorbacks as a derisive name. We were called the cardinals officially until 1909. Papers sometimes referred to the team as hogs as a nickname even before it became the mascot. After we beat LSU in 1909 legendary coach Hugo Bezdek called his team a "wild band of razorback hogs". Arkansas residents took pride in being labeled "razorbacks" by this point so the cardinal was replaced by Razorbacks.